I had a solid reading month in February. I’ve been trying to be more discerning with my TBR pile, but I still ended up with one mediocre friend recommendation and one absolute stinker that I hated.
Public Service Announcement: Authors, please use beta readers. At the very least.
I won’t name names, but I spent 40% of the “stinker” wondering if I had accidentally opened a first draft. The inconsistencies were so bad that I had to stop reading it halfway through. Life is too short.
On to the masterpieces…
The Hallmarked Man – Robert Galbraith
Rating: 5/5
The Vibe: Tense, Gritty, Hopeful
The 8th novel in the Cormoran Strike series, and it reminds me why these are my all-time favorites. Strike and Robin are investigating a ritualistic killing in the vault of a Masonic silver shop.
My Take: There are a lot of characters to keep track of here, but the atmosphere and the tension between Strike and Robin are unparalleled. Galbraith (JK Rowling) is a master of Invisible Structure–even with 900+ pages, you never feel lost. I am already counting down to book nine.
Dungeon Crawler Carl – Matt Dinniman
Rating: 5/5
The Vibe: Tense, Epic, Hilarious
This was my second time through the first book, and it was just as good as the first. If you aren’t familiar with LitRPG (literary role-playing game), don’t let the name scare you. You don’t need to be a gamer to get sucked into this series.
The Plot: Alien invasion meets galaxy-wide reality TV show. Car and his ex-girlfriend’s show cat, Princess Donut, have to survive 18 levels of a deadly dungeon.
My Take: Dinniman’s writing has me in a stranglehold. It’s clever, action-packed, and the character growth is phenomenal. I’ve already devoured the first seven books, and yes, book eight (A Parade of Horribles) is already on pre-order for May.
Broken Country – Clare Leslie Hall
Rating: 4.5/5
The Vibe: Loss, Grief, Suspense
I’m not usually a huge literary fiction reader. I typically want more explosions in my stories, but this was stunning.
My Take: Set on a sheep farm, it’s a story of first loves, forever loves, and the devastating compromises we make. The pacing was great for a character-driven story. I listened to this on audio and highly recommend that medium; the narrator captured the atmospheric simmer perfectly.
Beach Read – Emily Henry
Rating: 4.5/5
The Vibe: Hopeful, Tense, Healing
I am an absolute sucker for books about authors. After a deep dive on Reddit for “romance books featuring writers,” I found this gem.
The Plot: Two rival authors living in neighboring beach houses for the summer, both struggling with writer’s block. They strike a deal to swap genres: the romance writer writes bleak literary fiction, and the literary snob writes something happy.
My Take: It’s the perfect blend of emotional damage and emotional healing. Henry nails the rivals-to-lovers trope while making some savvy observations about the writing industry.
I love talking shop and talking books. Have you read any of these? Do you have a recommendation for me?
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